Intolerance rising againFor a country that promises to defend freedom and liberty, America loses sight of that goal far too often. Maybe it's fear, maybe it's simply a revival of an old attitude of intolerance, but nearly half of us are ready to say that Muslims in America don't deserve a full set of civil rights. Last month, Cornell University released a poll that found that 44 percent of the people interviewed wanted to restrict the rights of every Muslim, even tho...

A fiery situationIt's not the Russellville Fire Department's desire to raise revenue that has us concerned. The city, for the past two years, has been in need of no-brainer, non-controversial revenue boosts. And we can understand why they want to generate some revenue on their own. More money would mean more capability to better serve and rescue city residents. Their heart, so to speak, is in the right place. But we're not clear on the logic involved behind th...

Second term of President George W. Bush will set historyThe inauguration Thursday set George W. Bush's second term into motion. His accomplishments and decisions during the next four years will eventually define how history will perceive Bush's tenure as president. It will take years to evaluate the true scope of his legislative influence. Although for the most part, how he will be remembered lies in the balance of just one issue - Iraq. Bush will be considered a failure if an independent democrati...

Step up ... we can winIf we could identify and eliminate one common denominator of terrorism, we would certainly take action. Right. If we could identify just one ingredient used in making methamphetamines and devise a way to monitor the sales, we could make a serious dent in the most dangerous domestic substance we have ever seen. Guess what? We can make a difference. During the past decade, our culture has seen the exponential growth of a toxic drug that will sev...

Staying up on methamphetamineRussellville was in the headlines across the state and nation recently for an unusual combination found at a local cafe. The Main Street Cafe redefined the term "home cooking" when local law enforcement agencies raided the establishment last week and found an alleged methamphetamine laboratory. One of the headlines in The Courier was "Bacon, eggs and meth." A frontage sign for a business across from the cafe on Main Street reads, "I'm gonna mi...

Methamphetamine source needs limitsThe tiny red pill, used once every four hours, can relieve nasal congestion for people suffering from a cold or allergies. Used by the hundreds, these and similar over-the-counter medications can become enough methamphetamine to keep an addict satisfied for a week. While a family might go through a dozen boxes of decongestant in a year, a meth addict cooking his own supply will go through 15 boxes each week. Addiction is only part of the cost ...

Courier's name policy still evolvingThe purpose of a quality newspaper, first and foremost, is to inform readers about public information. Providing objective coverage that presents factual information about criminal arrests is a crucial aspect of how a newspaper serves its community. We gather information through many avenues in the law enforcement realm, including numerous sources, but the most prevalent is simple - public information. This is the bottom line. In a story in Fr...

Ask, and they will comeBy Scott Perkins editor@couriernews.com Making a good newspaper even better is a tall order that takes a well-structured plan executed with undying determination. Any editor or publisher who aims to increase readership must take an objective look at their news product while identifying the good aspects right along with the bad. When the staff at The Courier piles into the conference room for a critique, egos must be checked at the door. You co...

General Assembly rolls onGov. Mike Huckabee stated in a recent letter to the legislature that this was his last "lap around the track," just like many members of the 85th General Assembly. The public voted to not extend term limits in November, therefore many state senators and representatives find themselves on the last leg right along side the governor. Although we all know, if Huckabee wants to stay fit, he'll keep walking or running around that track, just not Ark...

One tragedy could have been twoMaybe you saw all those emergency lights near the banks of the Arkansas River on Saturday night and wondered what in the world was going on. You've already read, or heard, or seen the news that a tragedy occurred sometime Saturday in Perry County that stretched into Yell County and across the river bridge into Russellville. We've already tipped our hats off to law enforcement and emergency personnel in our neck of the woods for averting anothe...

Hats off to agenciesUnited we stand and divided we fall. This concept proves to be beneficial when applied to numerous situations. After elections, especially Presidential ones, the united message seems to be popular among columnist. After tragedies like 9/11 and the recent tsunami, Americans huddle closer together showcasing some of our best qualities - togetherness and the willing to give to those in need. Two recent examples of teamwork in the Arkansas River V...

Resolved ... no quick diet fixesBy Neal Ronquist nronquist@couriernews.com The start of 2005 brings my personal streak to 14 consecutive years of having the same New Year's resolution - lose weight. And each year for the past 14, I've joined the thousands of other Americans grasping for the next diet craze, the next fitness craze, the next quick fix. It's like the Chinese calendar and the year of the cat, the rat, the snake, etc. My weight-loss resolution also can be documen...

Show Arkansas Tech University the moneyDr. Robert C. Brown, president of Arkansas Tech University, hit the nail right on the head when he said recently the legislature's funding formula for higher education rewards inefficiency. After a long, hard-fought battle to increase adequacy and equity in Arkansas' public schools, the legislature is flipping the coin for higher education. While public schools are rewarded fiscally for growth, the same is not true for colleges and universitie...

New series looks for best in ValleyBy Neal Ronquist Courier publisher Readers of The Courier will find a new addition to our Saturday editions, beginning today. On the back page of the A Section (don't flip the pages yet) is the first in a yearlong series of pages dedicated to our "I Believe in the River Valley" campaign. Each Saturday throughout 2005, The Courier's news staff will dedicate a page to exploring the positive benefits of living in the River Valley. The goal is to ...

An outsider's perspective, The Courier's directionBy Scott Perkins editor@couriernews.com "Welcome to Russellville," they say. "We're glad to have you in our community." "Well, thank you, and I'm glad to be here," I reply. The above conversation with minor variations has reoccurred several times since I have moved to the Arkansas River Valley, and I expect it to keep on happening. Through e-mails, phone calls and face-to-face encounters, this community could not have been more welcoming to my...

Surgeon's tragedy hits homeBy Scott Perkins editor@couriernews.com The themes of life reoccur and hopefully, we as individuals, recognize them as we live day after day. The act of waking up every morning is a blessing in itself. Nothing is guaranteed in this world and if we could learn to live every day like it was our last, we could truly acknowledge the uniqueness of what it means to be alive and well. It is human nature to take many things for granted - our health an...

President's slight will be benefit to ArkansasBy Mark Scott government@couriernews.com It doesn't take an extensive media study to determine Average Joe Arkansan's loyalty toward the Detroit Pistons disappeared when the team traded ex-Cyclone and Razorback Corliss Williamson during the off-season. Personally, the Pistons' game reports set to pop up on my "My Yahoo!" were no longer needed because their only purpose was to see how many points Corliss scored the night before. Yes, Corliss wa...

Resolutions can set tone for any yearBy Scott Perkins Courier editor The New Year is rapidly approaching - time to say "good-bye" to 2004 and "hello" to 2005. Time seems to speed up as we grow older making our time more precious every day. Resolutions for the new year serve as a great way to set goals and try to implement change in our lives although unfortunately many of us fall short of our perfect-world resolutions before the Easter Bunny hops into action. Few of us make it to...

Traditions manifest on Christmas EveBy Scott Perkins editor@couriernews.com A white Christmas occurs in the South about every 14 years, according to local weather history. Although the holidays in general are special enough even without the occurrence of falling snow which happens to hang around until Dec. 25, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season often tests our patience while we sometimes lose track of what the season is all about. This year, during the last-minute shopp...

Search ends for favorite Christmas harmonyBy Neal Ronquist nronquist@couriernews.com It must have come from one of the local radio stations this past week, or perhaps someone asked the question in the office, but it's stuck with me all week. The question was: "What's your favorite Christmas song?" It is one of those trivial questions that really isn't that important, but nonetheless, has left me dwelling on just which one of the classics is my favorite. Of course the timing of the que...